Help me choose a bike after accident
03-26-24, 01:33 AM
#26
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@Mother_of_birds, a couple of thoughts. If you're willing to tell us what city you live in, there are folks here who like bike shopping for others and might find you a good deal. Do you have a cycling group in your area? Some organizations offer lessons on city riding; you might benefit from formal instruction. Bike co-ops are also very useful places. If you can find a bike shop that carries folding bikes, you might take one for a test ride. There are people who have gone on multi-month tours on their Bromptons, and they were designed for cities. Best of all, you'd be able to keep your road bike on the trainer. BF has a UK forum; not busy, but maybe helpful.
The very best thing you can do is just keep riding. Welcome!
The very best thing you can do is just keep riding. Welcome!
03-26-24, 02:18 AM
#27
Senior Member
I think I may have found something. A Trek Marlin 6. Its an XS frame which is perfect for me and hard to come by second hand apparently. I guess since the typical mountain bike owner is a taller bloke, 80% of bikes for sale are large or XL. It looks in good condition from pics and it's in my budget. 27.5x2.2" tyres, 2x8 speed, hydraulic disk brakes and front suspension with lock out. It might be overkill for what I'm planning to do with it but hopefully it will help me trust the bike and give me a bit more confidence.
Usually, 8 speed mountain, not as much gear range as the new cassettes, would come with a triple crank to get mountain low gears. As long as the 2X crank gives you the gear range you need, it's fine, especially if it has a wider step between the two rings, 16 teeth, like most current 2X cranks.
A Marlin 6 has a sharply sloping top tube in your size, good for fit, but it means a tall seatpost with more bending moment under rider weight (not necessarily you, but the previous rider might have been taller); Make sure you inspect particularly closely at the top front weld between the seat tube and the top tube, this has been a place for cracks on other bikes with long seatposts. And the entire frame, looking for any cracks, it doesn't take long. Nearly anything else can be fixed.
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03-26-24, 02:50 AM
#28
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I was never a 'cyclist' but I rode a lot as a kid and used to commute to work on a MTB until about 6/7 years ago I had a bad cycling accident. It was a complete freak accident that was probably 1 in a million of it happening the way it did,................................
Thank you and yes it was going around a corner but it was ice that took the bike out. It didn't even look frosty on the morning it happened but as I went around the bend the bike just went and I had so much forward momentum I landed on my face and skidded about 6 meters. Just glad I've always been a health and safety nut so was wearing a helmet or I dread to think how much worse it would've been!...................................
I think I may have found something. A Trek Marlin 6. Its an XS frame which is perfect for me and hard to come by second hand apparently. I guess since the typical mountain bike owner is a taller bloke, 80% of bikes for sale are large or XL. It looks in good condition from pics and it's in my budget. 27.5x2.2" tyres, 2x8 speed, hydraulic disk brakes and front suspension with lock out. It might be overkill for what I'm planning to do with it but hopefully it will help me trust the bike and give me a bit more confidence.
ENJOY the new to you ride.
03-26-24, 03:09 AM
#29
Newbie
Thread Starter
Sounds good. 27.5 is a bit of an outlier in sizing, only 25mm larger diameter than typical 26" mountain bike tires and wheels, I think a stupid reason for creating a whole new standard. The big leap up in mountain bike tires to "29er", just fatter tires on 700c rims, made more sense, but you don't want that, it would be totally out of proportion to the frame. In my opinion, typical 26" wheels would be best, just for enormous selection of tires. But as long as 27.5 tires and tubes are available and comparably priced, not an issue.
Usually, 8 speed mountain, not as much gear range as the new cassettes, would come with a triple crank to get mountain low gears. As long as the 2X crank gives you the gear range you need, it's fine, especially if it has a wider step between the two rings, 16 teeth, like most current 2X cranks.
A Marlin 6 has a sharply sloping top tube in your size, good for fit, but it means a tall seatpost with more bending moment under rider weight (not necessarily you, but the previous rider might have been taller); Make sure you inspect particularly closely at the top front weld between the seat tube and the top tube, this has been a place for cracks on other bikes with long seatposts. And the entire frame, looking for any cracks, it doesn't take long. Nearly anything else can be fixed.
Usually, 8 speed mountain, not as much gear range as the new cassettes, would come with a triple crank to get mountain low gears. As long as the 2X crank gives you the gear range you need, it's fine, especially if it has a wider step between the two rings, 16 teeth, like most current 2X cranks.
A Marlin 6 has a sharply sloping top tube in your size, good for fit, but it means a tall seatpost with more bending moment under rider weight (not necessarily you, but the previous rider might have been taller); Make sure you inspect particularly closely at the top front weld between the seat tube and the top tube, this has been a place for cracks on other bikes with long seatposts. And the entire frame, looking for any cracks, it doesn't take long. Nearly anything else can be fixed.
03-26-24, 03:13 AM
#30
Newbie
Thread Starter
What I meant was it was 1 in a million it happened the way it did, as in the way I landed practically mouth first lol. Imagine the angle I must have been at to basically land on my front teeth!
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03-26-24, 02:17 PM
#32
Newbie
Thread Starter
@Mother_of_birds, a couple of thoughts. If you're willing to tell us what city you live in, there are folks here who like bike shopping for others and might find you a good deal. Do you have a cycling group in your area? Some organizations offer lessons on city riding; you might benefit from formal instruction. Bike co-ops are also very useful places. If you can find a bike shop that carries folding bikes, you might take one for a test ride. There are people who have gone on multi-month tours on their Bromptons, and they were designed for cities. Best of all, you'd be able to keep your road bike on the trainer. BF has a UK forum; not busy, but maybe helpful.
The very best thing you can do is just keep riding. Welcome!
The very best thing you can do is just keep riding. Welcome!
03-26-24, 02:23 PM
#33
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I picked up a Trek Marlin 6 thisevening but thank you for replying. Its useful to know that there are people on here who could help me bike shop later on. This bike is pretty much an experiment to see if I actually can ride outside again and enjoy it. If I do then I probably will look to upgrade. If I do, where would be the appropriate place to make the post?
03-26-24, 02:36 PM
#34
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April 2020 on my bicycle I was side swiped by a 300+/- pound WILD HOG and 2 cracked ribs + punctured lung + cracked Scapula + shoulder trauma and then July 2022 another WILD HOG T-boned me and did a minor face plant but the hog's head hit my left Tibia fracturing it.
Hoping your future riding finds you remaining UPRIGHT.
03-26-24, 11:13 PM
#35
Senior Member
Be careful cornering on pavement with those knobby tires, that's just not what they excel at. But forward traction and braking on dirt will be no problem.
If you have any issues with lack of crispness of shifting in back, it appears to me that the rear derailleur is a bit far forward (possible adjustment of B-screw), just a bit more aft would put the rear derailleur jockey (upper) pully closer to the small cogs for less lateral chain flex when shifting.
Important: Hard to see, but I think both axles are quick release and not thru-axles. If so (only because of disc brakes), front quick release needs to be *tight* to keep the axle from pulling out of the droputs under braking (though a prominent raised lip surrounding both ends of the QR will help keep in place), this was the driver for thru-axles. (Unless it has Trek's "thru-skewer" which uses just the skewer like a thru-axle, I think their 520 touring bike had that.) Hard to see the rear caliper, if mounted behind the rear axle, same issue. But if rear caliper is inside the rear triangle forward of the axle, then the axle gets pushed up under braking, safe.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 03-26-24 at 11:35 PM.
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03-27-24, 12:01 AM
#36
Newbie
Thread Starter
That's a nice looking bike. The handlebars a bit higher than the seat, should suit your riding style, and you can very easily and cheaply put them higher with just a stem with more upward tilt. Gearing looks good, not the latest 1X but instead a smaller cassette and 2X, probably another reason it may have been a good price, and totally fine if you are OK with a front derailleur, I sure am. But easily upgradeable to 1X if you decide you want that. If the frame fits you well, you've got tons of options. Though seeming to be out of fashion, I loved putting bar-ends on my flat bar (I think they were banned from racing due to bikes hooking each others' bar-ends); Mine are oversize in diameter and I put foam around them for even better ergonomics. A second and vertical hand position is nice to switch to, and when climbing while standing, it really helps to be on the front of the bar-ends, versus my hands further aft with only a flat bar.
Be careful cornering on pavement with those knobby tires, that's just not what they excel at. But forward traction and braking on dirt will be no problem.
If you have any issues with lack of crispness of shifting in back, it appears to me that the rear derailleur is a bit far forward (possible adjustment of B-screw), just a bit more aft would put the rear derailleur jockey (upper) pully closer to the small cogs for less lateral chain flex when shifting.
Important: Hard to see, but I think both axles are quick release and not thru-axles. If so (only because of disc brakes), front quick release needs to be *tight* to keep the axle from pulling out of the droputs under braking (though a prominent raised lip surrounding both ends of the QR will help keep in place), this was the driver for thru-axles. (Unless it has Trek's "thru-skewer" which uses just the skewer like a thru-axle, I think their 520 touring bike had that.) Hard to see the rear caliper, if mounted behind the rear axle, same issue. But if rear caliper is inside the rear triangle forward of the axle, then the axle gets pushed up under braking, safe.
Be careful cornering on pavement with those knobby tires, that's just not what they excel at. But forward traction and braking on dirt will be no problem.
If you have any issues with lack of crispness of shifting in back, it appears to me that the rear derailleur is a bit far forward (possible adjustment of B-screw), just a bit more aft would put the rear derailleur jockey (upper) pully closer to the small cogs for less lateral chain flex when shifting.
Important: Hard to see, but I think both axles are quick release and not thru-axles. If so (only because of disc brakes), front quick release needs to be *tight* to keep the axle from pulling out of the droputs under braking (though a prominent raised lip surrounding both ends of the QR will help keep in place), this was the driver for thru-axles. (Unless it has Trek's "thru-skewer" which uses just the skewer like a thru-axle, I think their 520 touring bike had that.) Hard to see the rear caliper, if mounted behind the rear axle, same issue. But if rear caliper is inside the rear triangle forward of the axle, then the axle gets pushed up under braking, safe.
03-27-24, 12:29 AM
#37
Senior Member
Glad to help. Yeah, the disc brake with QR issue is a serious one, especially with wheels that large, that generate a lot more torque for the same braking thrust at the pavement, then say, my 20" wheels. Briefly, as you brake the front disc with the caliper behind the axle, the caliper acts as a "pivot point", so with the wheel being pushed back, it wants to rotate about that pivot point and pull the axle down, and hard, there's a big leverage ratio there.
If the caliper were in front of the fork, braking would push the axle up. But that would mean either the brake cable/hydraulic line would exit the caliper on the bottom (unless someone tooled up a new caliper), or if rotated the other way, the disc would need to be on the outside of the fork for the caliper to grab it, impossible. Dahon came up with a brilliant way to solve this without thru-axles on their new Curl D9: They mounted the front caliper on the front of the fork on the RIGHT, and just flipped the wheel around so the disc is on the right too. (And discs are designed to rotate one direction, but the disc can just be reversed to allow this.) This pushes the axle up under braking, and allows use of a standard caliper, and the cable exits up like it should. I've not seen that on any other bike, but a brilliantly simple solution to allow normal (and cheaper) quick-release axles, versus thru-axles.
If the caliper were in front of the fork, braking would push the axle up. But that would mean either the brake cable/hydraulic line would exit the caliper on the bottom (unless someone tooled up a new caliper), or if rotated the other way, the disc would need to be on the outside of the fork for the caliper to grab it, impossible. Dahon came up with a brilliant way to solve this without thru-axles on their new Curl D9: They mounted the front caliper on the front of the fork on the RIGHT, and just flipped the wheel around so the disc is on the right too. (And discs are designed to rotate one direction, but the disc can just be reversed to allow this.) This pushes the axle up under braking, and allows use of a standard caliper, and the cable exits up like it should. I've not seen that on any other bike, but a brilliantly simple solution to allow normal (and cheaper) quick-release axles, versus thru-axles.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 03-27-24 at 12:34 AM.
03-27-24, 01:51 AM
#38
Senior Member
I did not know, your "27-5" wheels are same as 650B, an alternate name for something that has been around for ages. Good article about that:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/650b.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/650b.html
03-27-24, 08:26 AM
#39
Newbie
Thread Starter
Glad to help. Yeah, the disc brake with QR issue is a serious one, especially with wheels that large, that generate a lot more torque for the same braking thrust at the pavement, then say, my 20" wheels. Briefly, as you brake the front disc with the caliper behind the axle, the caliper acts as a "pivot point", so with the wheel being pushed back, it wants to rotate about that pivot point and pull the axle down, and hard, there's a big leverage ratio there.
If the caliper were in front of the fork, braking would push the axle up. But that would mean either the brake cable/hydraulic line would exit the caliper on the bottom (unless someone tooled up a new caliper), or if rotated the other way, the disc would need to be on the outside of the fork for the caliper to grab it, impossible. Dahon came up with a brilliant way to solve this without thru-axles on their new Curl D9: They mounted the front caliper on the front of the fork on the RIGHT, and just flipped the wheel around so the disc is on the right too. (And discs are designed to rotate one direction, but the disc can just be reversed to allow this.) This pushes the axle up under braking, and allows use of a standard caliper, and the cable exits up like it should. I've not seen that on any other bike, but a brilliantly simple solution to allow normal (and cheaper) quick-release axles, versus thru-axles.
If the caliper were in front of the fork, braking would push the axle up. But that would mean either the brake cable/hydraulic line would exit the caliper on the bottom (unless someone tooled up a new caliper), or if rotated the other way, the disc would need to be on the outside of the fork for the caliper to grab it, impossible. Dahon came up with a brilliant way to solve this without thru-axles on their new Curl D9: They mounted the front caliper on the front of the fork on the RIGHT, and just flipped the wheel around so the disc is on the right too. (And discs are designed to rotate one direction, but the disc can just be reversed to allow this.) This pushes the axle up under braking, and allows use of a standard caliper, and the cable exits up like it should. I've not seen that on any other bike, but a brilliantly simple solution to allow normal (and cheaper) quick-release axles, versus thru-axles.
03-27-24, 01:38 PM
#40
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Congrats on the old Trek Marlin.
You might consider a downhill mountain bike helmet with chin guard for peace of mind. I'm surprised chin guards are only popular for downhill mountain biking, myself.
Alternatively, I just received a Lumos helmet yesterday with LEDs built in, including turn signals! That might help to avoid the crash in the first place.
You might consider a downhill mountain bike helmet with chin guard for peace of mind. I'm surprised chin guards are only popular for downhill mountain biking, myself.
Alternatively, I just received a Lumos helmet yesterday with LEDs built in, including turn signals! That might help to avoid the crash in the first place.
03-27-24, 04:22 PM
#41
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my kids started with full coverage helmets
youngest was a little more adventurous / rambunctious and did some bmx racing - so he wore a motorcycle helmet
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03-27-24, 05:40 PM
#42
Senior Member
You really know what you're talking about! Could you perhaps help me with one other thing? This bike is an 8 speed and has a KMC 8.3 chain fitted. My road bike is a 9 speed and I preped four 9 speed shimano chains for waxing. I have read that you can put a 9 speed chain on an 8 speed bike and what I would like to do is clean up the cassette and everything so I can use the chains Ive already waxed rather than buy 8 speed ones and start from scratch. Would there be any issues running 9 speed chains on this bike?
A chain one size narrower than standard rarely presents any problem. Thus, you can use a "9-speed" chain with a 7-speed or 8-speed system, or a "10-speed" chain with a 9-speed system. This is not the ideal approach -- shifting may not be quite as smooth -- but it's workable. Exceptions: only 1/8 inch chain will run on 1/8 inch sprockets; a 7 or 8-speed chain runs OK on a system made for chain with protruding rivet pins, but may slide along on the tops of the teeth when misaligned.
That said, if the chain skips, it might be wrong configuration, or the cogs may be worn, a new chain will often skip on worn cogs. Measure the chain you take off for stretch, as a clue.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 03-27-24 at 05:46 PM.
